Earth … Fire … Air … Water … My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world.
– Introduced by Aiyoku
The Girl From The South Pole
Act l
(The show opens with an overhead shot of iceberg laden waters. The screen pans left and rotates showing footprints in the snow, then fades to soaring pan shot from the air of the icy waters. As if the shot were taken from the outside of an airplane, the camera banks left as it moves forward. It comes to rest and slowly zooms in on a two person canoe out among the icebergs. Cut to a closer shot of the canoe. A teenage boy, Shu, short olive-green hair, stands in the canoe. He looks down at the water, spear at the ready. The other occupant is a young girl, medium length brown hair and bangs that hang in her face. Both wear blue overcoats. The canoe drifts slowly as the boy concentrates on fishing. Cut to a close, overhead shot of the canoe. Beside the boat a fish swims close to the surface in front of the boy.)
Shu: It's not getting away from me this time. Watch and learn, Aiyoku. This is how you catch a fish.
(Aiyoku leans over the edge of the canoe to see a fish. Hesitantly, she removes her left glove. She takes a deep breather and with a look of trepidation begins to motion with her exposed hand. Suddenly, a globe of water containing the fish bursts out of the water.)
Aiyoku: Shu, look!
Shu: (whispers) Shhh. Aiyoku, you're gonna scare it away. Mmmm... I can already smell it cookin'!
Aiyoku:(trying to retain control of the globe of water): But Shu! I caught one!
(She struggles with the blob of water and it floats closer to Shu, who raises his spear to strike a fish. When he cocks his arm back he burst the bubble of water. The fish falls back into the sea and Shu gets drenched.)
Aiyoku: Hey!
Shu:(very exasperated): Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with magic water I get soaked?
Aiyoku: It's not magic. It's waterbending, and it's-
Shu: Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that even though I'm an earthbender I keep my weirdness to myself.
Aiyoku: You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water.
(Cut to Shu, who is making a muscle and looking at his reflection in the water. He turns to Aiyoku and gives her a look. Suddenly the boat is bumped, they look up to see they have entered an ice packed area. They begin to work frantically to maneuver the canoe between the icebergs.)
Aiyoku and Shu: Ahhh!
Aiyoku: Watch out! Go left! Go left!
(Cut to an overhead shot of the canoe as it threads its way through the ice pack. Icebergs are colliding all around them. Each time they manage to avoid getting crushed between the colliding icebergs, but their safety margins decreases rapidly each time. Finally the canoe is crushed when three icebergs collide at once. Shu and Aiyoku jump out in time onto one of the icebergs. Cut to a wide shot of the ice field. They are now at the mercy of the currents. Then cut back to the kids.)
Aiyoku: You call that left?
Shu: You don't like my steering. Well, maybe you should have waterbended us out of the ice.
(Cut to a wide shot of the kids on their little iceberg. Behind them a huge towering iceberg rears up into the sky.)
Aiyoku: So it's my fault?
Shu: I knew I should have left you home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up.
(Cut to a close of up Aiyoku, her anger boiling over. She points at her brother.)
Aiyoku: You are the most sexist, immature, nut brained...
(As she gets more excited, the iceberg on which they are sitting begins to heave. Switch to a wider shot, where the huge iceberg behind her cracks.)
Aiyoku: Ugh, I'm embarrassed to call you my brother! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!
Shu:(noticing the cracking iceberg): Uh... Aiyoku?
Aiyoku: I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!
Shu: Aiyoku! Settle down!
Aiyoku: No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!
(By the end she is screaming. As she finishes, the iceberg behind her splits open entirely. It disintegrates and the major pieces fall into the water, pushing their iceberg away. They hold on desperately until the iceberg settles. A huge shaft of white blue light shoots straight into the heavens. Cut to an above ground shot from somewhere nearby where the shaft of light and the aurora australis is clearly seen in the background. The foreground is occupied by a herd of tiger seals, who rears themselves up and roar at the phenomenon.)
Shu: Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Aiyoku.
Aiyoku: You mean I did that?
Shu: Yup. Congratulations.
(Cut to a view of an iron hulled battleship with a spiked prow cutting through the sea also nearby. It is apparently steam powered as it has a single smokestack. The bow is much longer than the stern. The bridge appears to be several decks above the main deck. Cut to a shot of the back of a young man on the bow dressed in red, also shaven-headed except for a pony-tail, staring intently at the shaft of light in front of the ship. Then cut to a shot of his face, still illuminated by the shaft of light. The left side of his face is badly scarred around his eye. The is Prince Zuko. The light from the light shaft dissipates.)
Zuko: Finally. (He turns to address someone offscreen.) Uncle, do you realize what this means?
(Cut to an old man seated cross legged at a low table, drinking tea and playing a game involving domino like objects.)
Iroh: I won't get to finish my game?
Zuko: It means my search - it's about to come to an end.
(Iroh groans.)
Zuko: That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!
Iroh: Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?
Zuko (exploding in anger): I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar. Helmsman, head a course for the light!
(Cut back to a wide shot of the exploded iceberg, which quickly shifts to Shu still shielding his sister from the blast that just dissipated. They look up to see residual blue light still swirling around the top of what is left of the iceberg.)
Mokka: (calling offscreen) How did that happen?
(Shu and Aiyoku look up to see a large flying bison named Appa. It lands in the water revealing a small girl riding the top of it's head. She has long pink hair pulled back to reveal and arrow on her forehead. This is Mokka, a young Master Airbender from the Southern Temples and long time friend of the pair.)
Aiyoku: Mokka! Nice timing.
Mokka: What's up?
Aiyoku: (glares over at Shu) Shu got us stranded.
(Mokka is about to comment, but doesn't as Appa begins to sneeze. Aiyoku ducks in time as Appa proceeds to sneeze all over Shu.)
Shu: Ewww! Aahh!
(Shu, covered in snot, tries to get rid of it by rolling around on the ice and snow.)
Mokka: Don't worry. It'll wash out.
Shu: Ugh!
Mokka: You never answered me about that weird light.
Aiyoku: I don't know what that was.
Shu: After seeing that light beam thing I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense.
(Shu turns to walk off, but is stopped at the iceberg's edge. The camera zooms way out to show how desolate the area is. Just sea and ice.)
Mokka: Well, if you guys are stuck Appa and I can give you a lift.
Aiyoku: We'd love a ride! Thanks! (She gets on Appa.)
Shu: Oh, no... I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster again.
Aiyoku: Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know... before you freeze to death?
(Shu starts to say something and gives up before he does. He sighs. Cut to Aiyoku and Shu in the back part of the saddle. Aiyoku looks excited. Shu looks grumpy, arms folded across his chest.)
Mokka: Appa, yip yip!
(Mokka shakes the reigns and Appa makes a low rumble. Cut to a rear shot of Appa. He flaps his huge beaver tail and then launches into the air. He spreads his legs wide, but then comes right back down into the water with a huge splash. He begins to swim them forward.)
Mokka: (shaking the reigns again): Come on, Appa. Yip yip.
Shu: Wow. That was truly amazing.
Mokka: Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. (She makes a "soaring through the sky" motion with her hand.) You'll see.
(Cut to a shot of Appa swimming through the water, flopping his tale. Fade back to Prince Zuko's Fire Navy ship. Zuko, on the spotting deck off the bridge looking forward, is approached by Iroh. It is now night.)
Iroh: I'm going to bed now. (He makes an exaggerated yawn) Yep. A man needs his rest. Prince Zuko, you need some sleep. Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive, you won't find him. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all tried and failed.
Zuko: Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over.
Act II
(The shot scans overhead of the small South Pole village. The shot then cuts to a rather large group of small children playing with Appa. Then the shot cuts to five teenage girls, four of them are wearing fighting attire and are surrounding Aiyoku, wearing fighting attire. They attack. Aiyoku grabs the collar of the girl in front of her and throws her into the girl behind her. She squats down, dodging the other two. They fall as Aiyoku grabs their ankles and pulls.)
Mokka: That was great! Like always, Aiyoku, you are the best warrior.
Aiyoku: Doesn't mean much since I still haven't been able to join my dad to fight in the War.
Mokka: Not to mention your situation with Prince – (Aiyoku claps her hand over Mokka's mouth.)
Aiyoku: Don't mention, P-R-I-N-C-E-D-O-N.
Gran Gran: (clapping) All right. No more playing. Come on, Aiyoku, you have chores. (Gran Gran leads Aiyoku away.)
(Fade to an afternoon or sunset shot of Zuko's ship cutting through the waves, then cut to Zuko facing two Fire Navy seamen. Iroh sits nearby.)
Iroh: Again.
(Zuko blasts fire from his hands at the guards, but misses. Then the guards attack Zuko with blasts of fire from their fists, but Zuko dodges. He back flips over the guards to land behind them.)
Zuko: Ha! Heeya!
(Iroh sighs and gets up.)
Iroh: No! Power in firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire. (Iroh demonstrates, releasing a controlling plume of flame that bursts in front of Zuko, but does not hit him) Get it right this time.
Zuko: Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready.
Iroh: No, you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics. (More forcefully) Drill it again!
Zuko: Grrrr... huh! (He blasts one of the guards backwards with a gout of fire.) The sages tell us that the Avatar must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You WILL teach me the advanced set!
Iroh: Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck. (Begins eating) Num num... num...
(Cut to a shot of the afternoon sky. The screen pans down to reveal Shu, clearly addressing an audience as he paces back and forth. Sitting next to him is Mokka and Aiyoku clearly bored out of their minds.)
Shu: Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?
(Cut to the audience. It is a group of six children, most of whom are toddlers.)
Little Boy:(raising his hand): I gotta pee!
Shu: Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe. And that means no potty breaks.
Little Boy: But I really gotta go.
Shu:(sighing): Okay... who else has to go?
(All six raise their hands. Shu slaps his forehead in disgust as all six exit to the right.)
Mokka: Shu you really should calm down. Just cause you're the only teenage boy here doesn't mean you have to boss around the little ones. They need to have fun.
Shu: Ugh! Aiyoku, get her out of here. This lesson is for warriors only.
Kid: (voice over): Wheeee!
(Cut to a rear shot of Appa, Mokka on his back. They have propped up his tail using a makeshift sawhorse. A kid has used Appa's back and tail as a slide to land in a pile of snow. The children, and soon Aiyoku, all start laughing.)
Shu: Stop! Stop it right now! (To Mokka) What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on.
(Mokka's gaze shifts slightly off of Shu to look at something beyond him offscreen)
Mokka: PENGUIN!
(To accentuate Mokka's exclamation the screen around her vibrates slightly in a visual effect. Cut to a shot of a penguin in the distance, visible between Shu and Aiyoku. The camera closes on the penguin almost instantly. The penguin, aware that it has been spotted, makes an excited noise and turns to waddle away. Mokka uses her airbending skill to run at unbelievable speed toward the horizon where the penguin had just been.)
Shu: She's kidding, right?
Act III
(Fade to a beach loaded with penguins who waddle around squawking. Aiyoku enters, looking for Mokka.)
Aiyoku: Mokka?
(Cut to Mokka chasing some penguins, but unable to catch them as they waddle away.)
Mokka: Haha! Hey, come on little guy. Wanna go sledding?
(Mokka lunges, but falls flat on her face. She gets back up as Aiyoku approaches.)
Mokka: Oof! Heh heh, I have a way with animals. (She puts her arms out and waddles in imitation of the four flippered penguins) Yarp! Yarp yarp! Yarp! Yarp yarp! Yarp!
Aiyoku: (giggles) Hahaha... Mokka, I'll help you catch a penguin if you help me master waterbending.
Mokka: You got a deal! Just one little problem. I'm an airbender, not a waterbender. Isn't there someone in your tribe who can teach you?
Aiyoku:(looking away in sadness): No. You're looking at the only waterbender on the whole South Pole.
Mokka: This isn't right. A waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? There's another Water Tribe up there, right? Maybe they have waterbenders who could teach you.
Aiyoku: Maybe. But we haven't had contact with our sister tribe in a long time. It's not exactly 'turn right at the second glacier.' It's on the other side of the world.
Mokka: But you forget: I have a flying bison. Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Aiyoku, we're gonna find you a master!
Aiyoku: (happily): That's... (then uncertain) I mean, I don't know. I've never left home before.
Mokka: Well, you think about it. But in the meantime, can you teach me to catch one of these penguins?
Aiyoku: (mock teacherly tone): Okay, listen closely my young pupil. Catching penguins is an ancient and sacred art. Observe.
(She produces a little fish from her coat and tosses it at Mokka. She is instantly surrounded by a horde of hungry penguins. Fade to a shot of an ice bank. It appears to be late afternoon. Suddenly, Aiyoku and Mokka rocket off the ice bank, each sitting atop a penguin. They land on the bank below and continue down at high speed on the penguin's belly. Mokka and her penguin take a jump off a small ramp, eventually landing in front of Aiyoku. She takes the jump and lands near her. They laugh and whoop happily.)
Aiyoku: I haven't done this since I was a kid!
Mokka: You still are a kid!
(They continue to rocket across the frozen landscape, eventually entering a system of ice tunnels. The tunnels all have periodic gaps where sunlight pours through. They emerge from the tunnels and get off their mounts, which stand up and dizzily wander away making little chirping noises. They walk forward, looking at something in front of them.)
Mokka: Whoa... what is that?
(Cut to a huge ship locked in the ice in front of them. It is a derelict Fire Navy ship, silhouetted by the sun behind it.)
Aiyoku: (deathly serious): A Fire Navy ship, and a very bad memory for my people.
(Mokka begins to walk to the ship.)
Aiyoku: Mokka, stop! We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby trapped.
Mokka: If you wanna be a bender, you have to let go of fear.
(She looks uncertain, then follows her to the ship. They climb up and enter the ship through a gaping hole in one of forward compartments below the water line. They walk around the dark corridors inside past many a darkened room.)
Aiyoku: This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks.
Mokka: Kinda scary in here.
Aiyoku:(smiles): Come on. Let's get out of here.
(Fade to an exterior shot of the Fire Navy ship. Cut back to an interior shot of the ship as Mokka enters a darkened room on the ship, Aiyoku behind in the hallway.)
Aiyoku: Mokka? Let's head back. This place is creepy.
Mokka: Huh?
(Cut to a shot of Mokka's foot dragging a trip wire on the floor. Behind them the door is blocked by a grate that drops from the ceiling. They grab it just after it falls shut. They are trapped.)
Mokka: What's that you said about booby traps?
(Around them, machinery in the room starts to operate. Gauges show steam pressure and wheels begin to turn. Steam begins to pour out of some of the equipment. Cut to an exterior shot of the ship. Suddenly, a bright flare explodes out of the Fire Navy ship and into the sky, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Cut back to Mokka and Aiyoku looking out the window of the ship's bridge.)
Mokka: Uh oh.
(Cut back to the flare as it rises. When it reaches its zenith it explodes with a small shower of sparks. Cut back to Mokka and Aiyoku with a wide shot on the bridge. There is a hole in the ceiling that Mokka is looking at.)
Mokka: Hold on tight!
(She grabs Aiyoku, who cries out in surprise, and launches them both through the hole in the ceiling. She lands with Aiyoku in her arms on top of the bridge. Cut to a long shot of the falling flare as seen through the lens of a telescope. The telescope follows the flare down for a few moments, before shifting downwards to show Mokka hopping down the ship and the ice which encases it to the ground below, Aiyoku still in her arms.)
Zuko (voice over): The Avatar. (Cut to a profile view of Zuko looking through his telescope) Quite agile for his old age. Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar...
(Zuko looks back into his telescope to see Mokka and Aiyoku running across the ice away from the ship. He then scans left quickly, then pulls it back right to focus on Aiyoku's village.)
Zuko: ...as well as his hiding place.
(Cut to a close up of Zuko's right eye, the unscarred one, which arches in determination.)